Firing equipment



Sept. .6, 1932. F. W. MILLER FIRING EQUIPMENT Filed May 31. 1930 Fi z/"2% \fiy M, M u, w

Patented Sept. 6 1932 f NITED STATES? FRANK W. mnnnn, or QHI AG LLINOIS w re E IPM N 1.

Application filed May 31, 1930. Serial No. 458,332.

This invention relates to apparatus for lighting-or igniting a bed of fuelpreviously disposed in a locomotive for bringing; the fuel bed to an advanced stage of combustion quickly. l I At some locomotive terminals it is" common practice to refill a locomotive with'feed water and spread a bed of coal upon the grates'while the locomotive is in the roundhouse and 19 thereafter to run the locomotive to a position outside of the roundhouse and there ignite its fuel bed by placing a quantity of oilon top of the coaland igniting the same to produce vigorous combustion and ignition of the coal. Thefuel oil best suited for such ignition is ordinarily congealed at the usual and average atmospheric temperatures and cam not be. handled easily. However, by means of this invention such heavy fuel oil may be employed with facility and its low cost may thus be availed of by the railroad. Prior attempts to use these heavyhydro carbons for fire igniting of locomotives has met with such repeated failures as to have discouraged the railroads from attempts of this'nature, T 0 make the use of such fuel available. a fire igniting apparatus easily mainipulated and free from operating defects constitute the principal objects of this invention; Other objects and advantages of the inventionwhich are inherently. possessed by it should become apparent upon axperusal of this specification and'drawing. V Inthe drawing there is shown a perspec tive and somewhat diagrammatic view of the apparatus employed in this invention.

A cylindrical tank 1 is provided and preferably is buried beneath the ground some- 4 where in the yard at the locomotive terminal, being buried as a matter of economy of space, reductionof fire hazard and to enable the tank to be maintained at a high temperature in extremely cold weather. This tank will ordinarily contain'a very heavy fuel oil which may be purchased at low cost and which is entirely suitable for the purposeof igniting locomotive coal fires. It can be filled in any suitable manner as'by a filling pipe'2 which may be connected to a tank car and upon the removal of amanhole cover 3 the oil may flow into the reservoir 1. Whenthe reservoir is suitably filled the manhole cover 3 will be replaced and made air tight and air from a supply piped having the custom ary pressure of about 100 pounds will be introduced through the pipe 5 and'through a combined reducing valve and relief valve 6. This valve will be regulated to maintain a. pressure ofpreferably about pounds in the space above the oil level in the reservoir 1. ea As the oil flows from the reservoir this valve will admit more air at 30 pounds pressure to maintain adequate pressure on the reservoir. It will also prevent excessive pressure from accumulating in the reservoir.

For conducting the fuelto a firetlighting position there is provided a fuel delivery pipe 7 which extends from the lower portion of the body of fuel in the reservoir upwardly into a box or any other suitable" conduit 8 and is conducted therein underground to-the end 9 of the box which is located at the fire lighting position at the railway track 11. At this point a locomotive will be positioned when it is desired to ignite its fire. Thebox 8 may be of wood, brick or any other suitablev construction for containing the several pipes therein shown. 1 i Y Within the box 8 there willbe placed asteam coil consisting of the pipes 12 and 13 connected by means of the pipe'14 to any suitable source of steam. This coil will lie alongside the fuel delivery pipe 7 and keep the oil line at a high enough temperature to render fluid such heavy fueloils as would be too viscous to flow at ordinary atmospheric temperatures. The air supplypipe will also be thus heated and the freezing of condensate therein will be prevented. An extension of i the steam coil consisting of pipes 15and '16 is also introduced into the oil reservoir 1 in order to maintain the oil in the reservoir freely fluid by theapplication oflieat. Another extension of-the steam coil consisting of the pipes 17 and 18 leads into a cabinet 95 19 which may be positioned beside the railway track and in which the firing nozzle 21 may be hung during periods of non-use. This extension of the'steam' coil will keep the nozzle warm during extremely cold weather so that oil maybe forced through readily without danger of congealing and clogging there- 1n.

A suitable trap 20 is connected as shown to the steam coil in the reservoir to discharge the condensate forming in the coil, the condensate being allowed to seep downv in the earth. 7

An air supply line 22 is brought to the firing position in any suitable manner, as through the box or housing 8 or otherwise and is connected with a flexible hose 23 which in turn is connected with the firing nozzle 21. A valve 24 is used to regulate the admission of air into the nozzle 23. Connected with the oil supply line, .is a flexible hose 25 also connected to the nozzle 21 and a pairof valves 26 and 27 are provided in this oil line and either may be used for controlling the flow of oil past their respective points. r v 1 The firing nozzle 21 may be any one of a number of suitable mixing nozzles adapted fordischarging the oil and air together in a common and somewhat homogeneous stream or spray. In its rigid portion it will be provided with valves 28 and 29 for enabling the operator in the engine cab to regulate the proportions of air and oil.

The cross connection generally indicated as 31 and provided with a valve 32 enables the operator to connect the air supply directly to the fuel supply pipe at will.

In the operation of the device approximately 30 pounds air pressure will be kept in the atmosphere above the oil level in the reservoir 1. Steam will be supplied to the steam coils to keep the oil in the reservoir and likewise in the supply pipe 7 hot and fluid. The

operator will close the valve 32, open the valves 24, 26 and 27', insert the firing nozzle into the locomotive fire box, toss in some burning waste and gradually open the valves 28 and 29 and form a proper mixture of air and oil which will become ignited by the burning waste. Aft-er spraying a substan- .tial stream of burning oil in the fire box on the bed of coal for a few minutes the bed of coal willbecome thoroughly ignited and will then be able to continue burnin without further aid from the oil supply. Vhen the V operator has sufliciently ignited the fuel bed in the locomotive .fire box he or his assistant will, if he desires to blowout the hose, close the valves 24 and 27 andopen the valve 32 thereby directing the compressed air stream through the oil hose 25 completely emptying V the same into the fire box. All of the valves may then be closed. If oil were allowed to remain in the hose 25in cold weather it might ,congeal and interfere-with subsequent use of the firing apparatus. The nozzle may then be hung in the cabinet 19 and kept warm and ready for instant use by means of the steam coils 17 and 18.

Should it be desired at any time to empty the oil supply line 7 the operator may close the valves 24 and 26 and open the valves 32 and 27 thereby directing a stream of compressed air from the air line through the cross connection into the oil supply line 7 blowing the oil out of the same back into the oil reser- I voir. The pressure in the oil reservoir being much lower than that 1n the air line this operation may take place, the excess pressure derground, a pipe connected with said reser-,

voir and with a firing position ata railway track for delivering fuel thereto, a housing for inclosing said pipe underground between the reservoir and said position, a steam pipe positioned in said housing alongside the fuel pipe and connected with a source of steam for heating said pipe, a steam coil in the reservoir, means including apipe for delivering air under pressure to said position and to the reservoir interior, a mixing nozzle suit able for lIlSGItlOIl into a locomotlve fire box and flexible conduits connecting said nozzle 1 respectively with the air pipe and said fuel pipe, and valves for regulatingthe fiow of air and of fuel to said nozzle.

2. Locomotive fire lighting apparatus comprising a liquid fuel reservoir buried 7'. 5'

underground, a pipe connected with said reservoir and, with a firing position at a railway track for delivering fuel thereto,' a housing for inclosing said pipe underground'between the'reservoi r and said position, a steam pipe positioned in. said housing alongside thefuel pipe and connected with a source of steam for heating said pipe, a steam coilin the reservoir, means including a pipe. for

delivering air under pressure to said position and to the reservoir interior, a mixing nozzle suitable for insertion into a locomotive fire box and flexible conduits connecting said nozzle respectively with the air pipe and said fuel pipe, valves for regulating the flow of air and of fuel to said nozzle, and a steam heated box for inclosing said nozzle during periods of non-use.

3. Locomotive fire lighting apparatus comprising a liquid fuel reservoir buried underground and provided with a steam coil, a pipe connected with said reservoir and with a firing position at a railway track for delivering fuel thereto, a housing for inclos ing said pipe undergroundbetween the reservoir and said position, a steam pipe positioned in said housing alongside the fuel pipe and connected with a source of steam for heating said pipe, means including a pipe for delivering air under pressure to said position, a mixing nozzle suitable for insertion into a locomotive fire box and flexible conduits connecting said nozzle respectively with the air pipe and said fuel pipe, valves for regulating the flow of air and of fuel to said nozzle, a steam heated box for inclosing said nozzle during periods of non-use, and means for regulatably supplying air under pressure to the interior of said reservoir for forcing the fuel through the fuel supply E. Locomotive fire lighting apparatus comprising a reservoir buried underground for containing liquid fuel and provided with a steam coil, a fuel supply pipe connected with said reservoir and a lighting position at a railway track for delivering the fuel, a conduit disposed underground inclosing said pipe, means including a pipe for supplying air at high pressure to said position, means for regulatably supplying air at a considerably less pressure to the interior of said tank for forcing fuel through said fuel supply pipe, a steam coil connected with a source of steam disposed in said conduit for maintaining the fuel in the fuel pipe fluid, a mixing nozzle and flexible hoses connected therewith and respectively with said air and fuel supply pipes of a length permitting the insertion of the nozzle into a locomotive fire box, valves for separately controlling the air and fuel delivered through said hoses and a cross connection betweenthe fuel and air supply pipes in advance of both of said valves and itself provided with a valve for permitting shutting off of the nozzle and introduction of air at said high pressure into the fuel supply pipe for blowing back the same into said reservolr.

5. Locomotive fire lighting apparatus com-r prising a reservoir buried underground for containing liquid fuel and a fuel supply pipe connected therewith and to a firing position at a railway track, a steam coil in said reser-' -voir, a conduit disposed underground inclosing said pipe, means including a pipe for supplying air at high pressure to said position, means for regulatably supplying air at a considerably less pressure to the interior of said tank, a steam coil connected with a source of steam disposed in said conduit for heating the fuel pipe, a mixing nozzle and flexible hoses connected therewith and respectively with said air and fuel supply pipes of a length permitting the insertion of the nozzle into a locomotive fire box, valves for separately controlling the air and fuel delivered through said hoses, a cross connection between the fuel and air supply pipes in advance of both of said Valves itself provided said valves and the cross connection being arranged also for the blowing out of the fuel hose by means of said air.

In witness of the foregoing I afiix my signature.

FRANK W. MILLER. 

